Pumpkins & Cranberries

Last weekend we did two very fall like activities. We got Liam his first pumpkin and we went cranberry picking.
I am a nut for holidays. Because I am a nut for holidays I find it very exciting that with Halloween we are starting in on what I feel is the beginning of the holiday season. To me this starts with buying a pumpkin and ends when you take down your Christmas decorations. It is so easy to see the ghosts of Christmas future. A little Liam in footed pajamas sleeping under a lit up Christmas tree. I love the image that brings to mind. Needless to say, I couldn't wait for us to go pick out pumpkins. Of course this activity was really for my benefit and not Liam's. Mike and I have very different feelings towards getting holiday decorations. I am of the sort that is ready to get our pumpkins as soon as I see the first ones being sold at a roadside stand. I also always want to pull out Christmas decorations and buy a Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Not Mike. He likes to wait. I believe that he might like the anticipation of waiting. It will be interesting to see how having Liam helps us to create our own holiday traditions.

With pumpkins purchased, we decided to try a new fall activity. We have heard for years that there is an area on the island to harvest cranberries. So, we put the canoe on the jeep and headed out to find them. The weather was quintessential fall weather. Just the perfect amount of chill in the air. The sky was blue and made the perfect backdrop for the colorful leaves. We paddled for a bit and took a small tributary towards our cranberries. We had been told the general area in which to find the cranberries. True to the directions given, we found the berries on low bushes not far from the shores of the creek. Mike and I both tried to pick them at first but Liam was not impressed with being held in the front pack while I was bent over picking cranberries. So, Mike took a turn sitting with Liam as I searched for the berries and then we switched jobs. It was harder work than we anticipated but it was also fun. It was almost like a mini treasure hunt trying to search through the bushes. Hopefully, we will be rewarded for all of our hard work with a cranberry tart that Mike plans to make.